A forum for non-language chatter ?

General discussion about learning languages
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby arthaey » Sat May 20, 2017 10:17 pm

I find myself hesitant to want to encourage any more flame wars than we already work to keep down. And that's how I've often seen the "general chatter" subforums devolve on other forums.

It feels to me like personal logs take up some of this need?
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby zenmonkey » Sat May 20, 2017 11:18 pm

arthaey wrote:I find myself hesitant to want to encourage any more flame wars than we already work to keep down. And that's how I've often seen the "general chatter" subforums devolve on other forums.

It feels to me like personal logs take up some of this need?


I see these issues as well as the positive elements of having a non-language area. But I certainly would not want to have a free for all area - the rules around keeping political, religions and other hot topics off the forum make sense, not because I don't enjoy those topic but because they require significant decisions around the moderation policy and frankly I don't think the site is large enough to manage that.

The multi-language area or, as stated above, the logs can basically be used to discuss almost any 'non-hot' topic.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby WalkingAlone13 » Sun May 21, 2017 12:06 am

I have always thought that more cultural elements to this forum would be great, not political or overly religious, but in my mind there will always be overlap between a language and its culture. After all, one of the criteria seen as crossing the boundary in language mastery is often perceived to be one of idiomatic speech and cultural references, that are often only attainable through heavy immersion or a relationship.
It would be nice to be able to delve a little into topics pertaining cultures, even if it were simply to start off with particular holidays and what they are celebrating, etc.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby Adrianslont » Sun May 21, 2017 12:17 am

WalkingAlone13 wrote:I have always thought that more cultural elements to this forum would be great, not political or overly religious, but in my mind there will always be overlap between a language and its culture. After all, one of the criteria seen as crossing the boundary in language mastery is often perceived to be one of idiomatic speech and cultural references, that are often only attainable through heavy immersion or a relationship.
It would be nice to be able to delve a little into topics pertaining cultures, even if it were simply to start off with particular holidays and what they are celebrating, etc.

We do already have a board called "Travel and Culture" where that stuff would fit quite well.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby iguanamon » Sun May 21, 2017 12:41 am

This comes up periodically: "The forum has such really nice people who are mature and respectful adults. Why can't we have an area where we can talk about other subjects besides language-learning? We can handle that." The forum is such a nice place because of the rules and policies that are in force here. Whenever that breaks down it soon devolves into not such a nice place. For one thing, this is a strictly volunteer-run site. The administrator makes no profit off of the site. Our administrator is subject to UK libel laws which are quite strict. The moderators are volunteers and they have better things to do with their time than to monitor discussions that may begin as humorous or innocuous but can quickly become not humorous and innocuous.

Hard feelings develop over language-learning from time to time with people who feel, rightly or wrongly that they are being attacked. I've witnessed a few folks over the years who leave in a huff and never come back because of language-learning. Imagine if you find out that someone you respect and admire here has personal and/or political views that may be anathema to your own. Or, if someone in the "anything goes" section who is otherwise a great contributor to language-learning feels that they are being ganged up on in that section. We could stand to lose valuable contributors for no good reason. Our moderation staff would be spending far too much time policing matters in an area that would have nothing to do with our stated purpose of learning languages. The mods and administrators have a tough enough job as it is without adding a potential major headache into the mix.

We are an international group of people. We encompass the gamut of human society with every political persuasion, every race, every gender, a wide range of ages and people from countries who are at war with each other. Yeah, what could possibly go wrong if we all are free to speak our minds!

There is more freedom given in the logs area, but even there, there are limits. This is what makes us unique in a sea of turmoil online. I get enough of "culture wars", politics, rudeness and crass behavior elsewhere on the web. This place is a nice respite away from all that. Let's keep it that way.
Last edited by iguanamon on Sun May 21, 2017 12:53 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby reineke » Sun May 21, 2017 12:50 am

Let's call it "The Pit".
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby tomgosse » Sun May 21, 2017 1:02 am

Like others, I am hesitant to see a "chatter" topic created. There are plenty of places to do that. I've even heard of this place called Facebook where one can do that. If one wants to discuss non-language things with me I am at http://facebook.com/gosse.tom I would be glad to answer your questions as to why I became an Orthodox Christian, but I don't talk about politics. Politics are just to darn depressing.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby PeterMollenburg » Sun May 21, 2017 1:46 am

I agree with iguanamon entirely. I've had to step away from political discussions recently or face the music with the moderators. Although politics does permeate a broad spectrum of topics, including language and culture, I think we're best avoiding it here. My log is more peaceful for it, and although I'd like to promote change and free-thinking, everyone else probably does too, which is likely to create all kinds of tension and conflict. Iguanamon gave numerous valid reasons. One of the most considerate being that the moderators would most likely prefer to spend their time on language related topics.

Tomgosse, Facebook imo is not a place where freedom of speech prevails, although private discussions are likely to be different.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby tommus » Sun May 21, 2017 2:09 am

I join those who hesitate to support a non-language learning section. I believe we should put all our efforts and energy into having a high-quality language learning forum. In my opinion, a non-language chat would detract from that. Also, the forum moderators already have a huge job with the forum as it is and I expect they really don't need the additional complication of this proposal, especially in that it has the potential to become much harder to moderate.

The Internet is full of general discussion forums. Here, lets have a single goal of language learning. So I think I am not only "hesitant to support", but I strongly oppose such an addition.
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Re: A forum for non-language chatter ?

Postby SophiaMerlin_II » Sun May 21, 2017 4:01 am

While in theory I support the idea, I think for the reasons above, it would probably not turn out super well. There are many ways to discuss other topics while discussing language learning at the same time, and then to a certain extent there are the language logs as well.
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